TORONTO, Aug 20, 2014 – Greater Toronto Area high school students and neighbourhood community youths will have their chance to tell educators, community organizers, health professionals and government representatives how they think their school engagement, educational performance and academic outcomes can be enhanced through more effective school-community partnerships, Aug. 22.
The youth panel discussion will be part of a two-day York Centre for Education & Community (YCEC) Summer Institute, where educators and community members including students and parents will come together on Aug. 21 and 22.

“The annual Summer Institute is an occasion to have conversations about critical issues in education,” says Professor Carl James in the Faculty of Education and director of YCEC. “It is an opportunity for educators, researchers, community leaders, parents and young people to hear from each other, exchange ideas, and assess the extent to current educational policies, programs and practices are working to meet the needs of all students.”

Communities and their Schools: Transformative Practices and Possibilities will include a series of workshops, panels, and a keynote address attended by more than 200 participants to draw on their experiences in their respective roles in an effort to build and sustain effective school and community collaborations.

Representatives from the Toronto District School Board, York Region District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Black Creek Community Health Centre, Success Beyond Limits, Transformative Community Education Network, York U’s Faculty of Education, and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies will be among the presenters.

August 21
- 9:30am to 10:30am – From Outcasts to Assets – Engaging Schools, Families and Youth in the Transformation of Communities, keynote speech by Reggie Moore, founder and executive director of the Centre for Youth Engagement
- 12:15pm to 1:15pm – Operational Practices, Challenges and Possibilities of Transformative Work Within School Boards, panel discussion by Camille Williams Taylor, Durham District School Board; Jim Spyropoulos, Toronto District School Board; Cecil Roach, York Region District School Board; and Poleen Grewal, Peel District School Board

NOTE: Getting Together for Action on Youth Engagemet, a preconference workshop will be held on Aug. 20, 5:30pm onwards at the Black Creek Community Health Centre located in Yorkgate Mall at 1 Yorkgate Blvd, Suite 202 (next to Dollarama store)
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